Now comes the hard part

And that is keeping safe. Wrapped up in the bubble of confinement we suddenly found a different Langley Mill from when we left back in December.

To think it was only 14 days ago since arriving back from Australia where conditions in that country were very different from GB.  Everything was shut down apart from public health centres, hospitals, public transport, banks, grocery stores and take away outlets. Fines were issued if found to be doing any unnecessary journeys and all the public places where people met, including the beaches, were closed. What didn't happen until well after we had returned home was the supermarket queues. So you can see why all this was very new to us.

 So for us leaving the basin for the first time most noticeable was the lack of traffic, never have I seen the roads so quiet. Usually, the traffic queue stretches from the Roundabout off the A610 to the mini roundabout by Asda.

And the queues of shoppers waiting to get into the superstore, all keeping to the 2 metres apart and no more than 10 people being allowed into the store at once, but only after 10 have left.

Trolly wipes were available to clean the handle tube on the trolly, which we used even though we wore gloves, but the number of people that didn't bother was staggering!

Lastly, it's the arrows on the store floor. You are asked to follow these even though there is nothing on that particular aisle that is needed. We tried to duck down a different aisle and go against the arrows but was told to stay on track! Fully understand that we need to keep far apart from the person in front so next time we will do as we are told.

We were advised by Jen to go before 9am as the queuing was almost non-existent at that time. Well, we got there at 8.25am and was amazed to see the line stretched around the store. From joining the back it took nearly 40 minutes to actually get in.

Eventually got back to FS by 10.15am, not that we minded, it was just great to be out and about. Kettle on before unpacking the shopping and blast noticed we had forgotten one of the most needed items on the list, the pepper mill. Yes, that list did work but unlike Sally's idea of listing the goods aisle by aisle, we found we missed a few things and had to try and backtrack. This too was frowned on by one or two people but we did wait until the coast was clear.  Anyway because I needed that pepper mill thought I would try my luck at Lidl. More queues but this time only had a 15-minute wait. No arrows on the floor but there were floor signs by the till.

 Ian wanted a few bits from B&Q and tried to go online to order the stuff. But he was held in an 'online' queue for 53 minutes before he got onto the site and then placing the order for three items, two were out of stock, the most important two! Eventually, he got an email to say he could come and collect the remaining one item. On his return, he relayed the tale of how difficult it was to actually get the order. Firstly nothing at the store was set up for pedestrians. Everyone who was waiting was in a car. A bay would be allocated to the car driver, their order would then be brought out and left on the ground and the driver would get out of his car and collect it. When Ian turned up on foot, well he was given short thrift! How dare he walk and not come by car! Even when he explained we had no car he got exasperated looks! In the end, he was allocated to a car bay, standing there feeling a right idiot but the primer paint was brought out and left on a pallet nearby. He was most relieved to walk home.

Talking of walking we had our first outing. Along Anchor lane to the disused Nottingham canal where parts of the canal had been filled in but a decent stretch was still in water. Then took the track through the woods to Eastwood lock before the return journey which took us along the towpath of the Erewash canal. Just before Langley Bridge lock, we saw that burnt out cruiser Jen had told us about.  No sign of the ducklings though.

What a great day to be out. And the birdsong...the A610 runs alongside the Nottingham canal and the traffic noise can drown out any tweeting from them birdies. But not today with the lack of vehicles. Wow, the chirpings were so loud and a joy to hear. There may be some good coming out of this lockdown after all.

Nottingham canal

A sense of humour in these dark times

Anchor bridge

Not a mooring to be had.

Ian on the back of FS

Now that our self-isolation is over this may well be my last post for a while. Might touch base every now and then. Until I do stay safe, keep the distance and wash those hands. We all need to do our bit to stop this virus in its tracks and if that means continuing to stay ah home and see our family by video link, so be it.

Some wildlife photos from our walk.